Fruitless
by I've Perfected Imperfection
Summary: Sumire watches as everything she worked for throughout the years, tumble down into an oblivion. She risked her chances and in return, achieved everything she never knew she wanted.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice.

_I've Perfected Imperfection_

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"As a whole community, we dethrone you from the honorable title, the President of the _Natsume-Ruka Fanclub_," Wakako declared with her brow arched, as if waiting for the green-haired girl to defy her from this preposterous suggestion, no _command_.

Sumire Shouda's viridian eyes dilated with her nostrils flaring angrily. She cackled, her voice loud and clear with hatred, "Oh really? And you think I'm going to step down just like that?" She clicked her slender fingers as to support her argument.

"Oho, you _will _step down - just like that," Wakako replied heatedly, clicking her fingers scornfully. "If you refuse to do so, then you can be the President in _your _little imaginary brain, not in _my _fan club."

In the corner of Sumire's eyesight, she could see Natsume Hyuuga together with his long-time . . . _crush_. A cruel smile made its way across Sumire's face as she spoke aloud, "Fine, have it your way, _Wakako-chan_. But let me warn you, your efforts for Natsume are futile."

A questioning gaze dawned upon Wakako's face but before she could lose her posture, she shook the curiosity off and sneered, "Oh thanks for the warning, but it's no longer needed since we now have a _proper_ President to steer this fan club in the right direction, unlike the former."

"Uh, okay. Give me a ring when you've found your brain - well, that's if you have one," Sumire retorted and walked away as she kept her chin high up, refusing to lose her dignity with the label _'Nobody' _on her pretty little forehead.

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"And that is the story of Sumire Shouda," Sumire finished off, her viridian eyes growing teary.

Natsume rolled his eyes and remarked, "Touching story. Now if you don't mind, move out of my way. If I'm late to class, you better be ready to be charged guilty."

Sumire's lips curled up in amusement. "The Natsume Hyuuga, worrying that he'll be late to class? God, this is such an eventful day. I wonder what's going to happen next, huh? Do I become the wedding planner for your beloved wedding with Sakura?" she ranted, her eyes rolling along with her sarcasm.

"Wow, you _are _nuts."

"Hey! Be grateful I've acknowledged your petty relationship, or else you've no one to turn to with your . . . _relationship _problems," Sumire giggled, ignoring the dark presence Natsume was emitting.

"One, I honestly don't give a shit whether you've acknowledged my relationship with my girlfriend. Two, never has your name or anything related to you ever crossed my mind whenever I'm in deep shit with Polka, and three, stop annoying me," Natsume stated with such a colourless tone, you could hardly detect the annoyance and anger bubbling. "Now move out of the way before I dethrone you from the honorable title, a normal-human-being-whom-I-will-tolerate-for-the-rest-of-my-high-school-life."

Sumire swallowed loudly from the intensity of his glare, yet she was unable to look away. His little speech rendered her speechless as she stood rooted to the ground, her eyes as wide as sauce pans. Natsume cursed under his breath and walked past her - unknowingly crushing her heart to smithereens. As she was about to walk in the opposite direction, he looked over his shoulder and said, "You're not a bad person, Shouda. Just don't lose your identity." And with that, he walked past the corridors - and possibly out of her life.

Sumire turned around and took a glimpse of the sight before her. It was like her heart and her insides were being jostled by the amount of heartbreak that's been knocking on her doorstep lately today. There Mikan Sakura stood, a sunny smile gracing her facial expression, contaminating Natsume Hyuuga along with her as his lips curved upwards in a tiny yet inhumanely handsome smile. Even Sumire couldn't help but catch the disease of Mikan Sakura as she smiled with them - of course without their knowledge.

"And you're not bad at choosing, Natsume," Sumire murmured, walking away from the couple that seemed so different yet so right for each other.

O

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Maybe it was fate.

Maybe it was fate that decided that Sumire Shouda would assist Mikan Sakura. Whenever Mikan Sakura is involved, beside her will be Natsume Hyuuga.

It was a warm, sunny morning when Sumire walked past the corridors, her eyes half-shut from the small amount of sleep given. Her mouth widened and let out a small yawn that accompanied the eye bags that lay beneath her emerald eyes. "Ugh, I hate waking up early on Saturdays," she muttered bitterly to herself, pushing her legs towards the vending machine that tempted her thirst. Before she could reach the machine, she heard loud scuffling noises coming from a dorm room that seemed out of place, considering it was 7:50 in the morning. Sumire turned around towards the door and pressed her ear against the wooden door, curious as to what a girl could possibly be doing, awake at this unreasonable hour.

_Not like I'm the one to talk_, she thought sourly to herself.

Sumire shrugged and as she was about to walk away, the door swung open to reveal a bewildered brown-haired girl, her brow arching upwards from the least expected guest who happened to be awake at 7:50 AM on a sunny Saturday. "Permy?" her voice was soft and confused as she tried to reach for the green-haired girl. "What brings you here at this time of day?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sumire countered lamely.

An amused expression fell upon Mikan's face as she retorted, "Well, this _is _my room, but you're right - what does bring me here, standing in my doorway at 7:50 in the morning? I guess we'll never know unless you could spare me some of your time in your oh-so very busy schedule to explain."

It was Sumire's turn to raise an eyebrow. _When did she get so . . . sarcastic?_

Sumire cracked a tiny smile and she muttered, "Wow, Natsume rubs off on you quickly."

Mikan's lips twitched in annoyance as she let out a wistful sigh, "Come in, Permy." She turned her body around to welcome her green-haired friend inside.

As she stepped into her room, she noted how incredibly tiny it was.

"Uh-huh, that's probably because my clothes are taking up 50 percent of the floor," Mikan commented as she closed the door behind her softly, trying to avoid waking her classmates. "So enlighten me, Permy. You may not have knocked onto my door or showed any non-verbal and verbal signs that you needed to talk to me, but the shadows behind my door did leave a clue that you were eavesdropping on my business," Mikan said casually, as if the matter meant nothing to her.

"Wow, I need to get myself a boyfriend who can come up with better come-backs to rub off on _me_," Sumire remarked, her eyes wide with amazement with how the brown-haired girl grew from innocence to . . . something Natsume Hyuuga was definitely responsible for for the noticeable change in his girlfriend.

"Oh Permy, how many times must I tell you? Koko fits that perfect description!" Mikan argued fiercely, her eyes blazing with determination. "Don't tell me you're still pining after my own boyfriend," she said with such a tone that Sumire wanted to flush with embarrassment.

"Oh puh-lease, have you seen your boyfriend lately? Because H-O-T is clearly labelled across his pretty little forehead. God. You still are naive as ever, I see."

"Yes, yes, his pretty little forehead. . ." her voice sounded distant and clearly made Sumire feel as if her presence was undetected.

Sumire shifted in her seat to glare at Mikan who was busy ransacking her nearly-empty closet. "You know, when people have a visitor, they usually pay attention to them. What are you doing? If you're trying to dress to impress me, I've already seen you at your worst so don't bother-"

"No, of course not! I'm trying to find a suitable outfit for a date tonight," Mikan interrupted her ranting and rolled her eyes. "I'd never try to impress _you_ Permy."

Sumire's eyes narrowed as she hissed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hey, hey, no offense intended! It's just that since you're such a fashion victim and well, it's impossible to meet your standards and there's no point - wait! You and fashion, fashion and you!" she cried, pointing an accusing finger at Sumire.

Sumire, clearly lost with where this conversation was going, said in a confused voice, "Yes, me and fashion?"

"Oh this is brilliant! You could help me with what to wear for tonight!" she sung in a joyful voice as she bounced repeatedly on the spot.

"Uh, no. Guessing this is probably your first time dealing with your . . . _closet_, this date must be Natsume's idea."

Mikan nodded eagerly, her russet eyes brimming with overflowing excitement. "Yes and it's our first date! Please, Permy, you've _got _to help me! Please, pretty please?" she begged desperately, her bottom lip pouting cutely.

It was hard to resist, but resist Sumire did. "Sorry, but no. It's like asking me to practically hand Natsume over to you."

Mikan rolled her eyes tiredly and stared at her with a soft expression that reflected pity. "Permy . . . please, I'm asking you as a friend. Please, you'll be doing Natsume a favor too! I won't embarrass him by appearing as an old constipated grandpa or an inexperienced prostitute! You're practically the epitome of fashion," Mikan pleaded, her voice tired and hoarse.

Her words struck Sumire deeply, leaving her dumbfounded yet she still had the courage to pity the disheveled girl that looked at her with such a pleading look that it compressed her heart. "Fine, but this is all. I'm never helping you again on something like this, understood?" she said, giving up.

Mikan's trembling lip turned into a soft and gracious smile. "Yes, thank you Sumire. You are amazing!" she squealed as she jumped on her friend, attacking her with hugs that seemed to squeeze her to a cozy death.

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She never believed this would one day happen, yet here he stood - in front of her without a sign of him or her walking away feeling irritated or on the brink of a long process of heartbreak.

His dark hair, the planes of his face, his high cheek bones and the flush colour they produced - it was all too unreal and inhumane that it took her breath away, despite the cheesiness of it all. He was beautiful but he was not hers to claim. He was Mikan Sakura's.

"Natsume . . ."

"Thank you," the aforementioned man said, interrupting Sumire abruptly. "She's feeling rather . . . _off _lately, and well, a new friend was what she needed, and well, you were there for her at the right time - no matter how unrealistic and stupid that sounds. Thank you for being her friend." If his voice was not so sincere and honest, she would not have restricted herself to latch herself onto him. But she couldn't, and she wouldn't.

"You know, you're very lucky to have me as your girlfriend's helper. I mean, who knows? She really could have appeared on your doorstep looking like a constipated grandpa or an inexperienced prostitute," Sumire remarked with a sniff.

Natsume chuckled, his small laugh captivating her greedy yet kind heart.

"Well, I'm not really saying thanks for _that_, but sure, thanks for that too. What I'm trying to say - and please don't make me repeat this nauseating gesture of 'kindness' - is that Polka doesn't really . . . have enough 'girlfriends'."

"So you're trying to say that spending all her time with you is annoying?" Sumire asked and couldn't help but leak the hope that could be detected in her too eager voice.

"No, of course not. It's just that she'd get sick of me_."_

_"_I'd never get sick of you, Natsume," Sumire breathed under her breath, but his sharp sense of hearing was put to use.

Natsume sighed, running his hands through his dark hair that danced along with the gentle wind. "And I'm sorry. I know that you've held . . . _feelings _for me for the past few years in your little," he coughed, "pathetic fan club, but it's her. She's the only one for me," he murmured, his voice sounding so out-of-place in this sinful world.

"I know. You know, you should really stop sounding so presumptuous, because you should know I have a little thing for your friend, Yome," Sumire stated with a fierce expression, determined to not back down from this pointless argument. Her mouth may have defended herself, but her eyes spoke differently. Sumire Shouda was infatuated with Natsume Hyuuga, but the red string of fate tied between Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga, stood in Sumire's way.

Of course, she didn't believe in things such as fate, or destiny.

"I love her, and that's all you need to know. Thanks again, Shouda."

O

**7**

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**Years**

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**Later**

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"Well, I'd like to give a toast to the newly-weds sitting here today, so if I could have your attention please!" a green-haired woman sung, her voice joyous yet impatient. Immediately, the entire room turned their attention to her, some eager, some blissful, and some dead-bored. She coughed uncomfortably, "As you all know the two people sitting here today are here to celebrate the union as one - as something so pure-" some chortles interrupted the speech, "-and so beautiful. I cannot stress how _eventful _the years have been, having to watch these two people bicker and banter like hyenas and honestly, it's not an easy task to make them make up, or rather, make out."

Many laughed at her speech as a shade of flush crossed the bride's cheeks and the groom still looking indifferent as he watched with bored eyes.

"But not only did I have the, umm, privilege to witness their fights, but to witness something that cannot be fathomed with adjectives, but something that can be fathomed with themselves. They are the epitome of love."

The green-haired woman watched the blooming bride swallow thickly, tears glazing her russet eyes. Although the groom seemed aloof by her words, she could see they had the same impact on him as it did on the bride.

"I know this stunning bride asked me to coordinate her outfit for her first date as her last favor from me - but the more time I've spent with these two special people, the more I wanted to also be a major part in their lives by coordinating _their _beginning of a new chapter flipped. May you two live a life that is not a happily ever after, but an ever-after full of everlasting love. I love you both, and thanks for everything."

The audience clapped and _whoop_ed in their seats as the bride and the groom shared a short passionate kiss to prove the theory that they _were _going to live a life full of everlasting love.

"_This goes to Natsume and Mikan_."

Sumire Shouda raised the champagne glass' rim to her cherry lips, and drank the night away with happiness and a thought buried in her greedy yet kind heart.

_I may be the epitome of fashion, but you are the epitome of love, Sakura, _Sumire thought bitingly.

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"And that is the story of your mother and father," Sumire stated, closing her velvet diary that held so many secrets and stories untold.

"I never knew you loved my Daddy, Auntie!" Akako cried, her coffee strands bouncing along with her jittery figure.

"I know, right? But it wouldn't be very hard to understand if you knew your father back then, sweetie. He was a beautiful man."

Giggles erupted from the 7 year old as she said defensively, "You just called Daddy _beautiful_! Mummy is the most beautiful-est, Auntie!"

"One day you'll understand what I'm talking about, but for now sweetie, you need to go to sleep. I don't want your Daddy and Mummy to scold me for being such a terrible baby sitter. Now don't give me that look or I won't tell you anymore stories," Sumire chided, her viridian eyes narrowing to intimidate the 7 year old.

Akako gulped and mock-saluted her with a trembling voice, "Aye aye, Auntie!" Swiftly, she hid herself under the covers with her wide eyes scrutinizing Sumire. "By the way, Auntie! Just one more question please!"

Sumire let out a tired sigh and ran a manicured hand through her green curls that rested on her shoulders. "Go ahead and ask away."

"Why did you love Daddy when you have Uncle Koko now?"

Sumire couldn't help the smile that crept on her lips as she remembered a motto she had stuck to throughout her ambitious years. She caressed her niece's bangs away from her forehead and murmured in a lulling voice, "I had to choose between watching in the sidelines and staying safe, or risk everything I've worked for and maybe, just maybe, achieve everything I've ever wanted. You see, if I just stayed in the sidelines, I wouldn't have known your Mummy and Daddy the way I do now, and if I just stayed in the sidelines, I wouldn't have fallen in love with your Uncle Koko. I risked everything for your Daddy, like losing my own fan club, and in return, I got everything I never knew I ever wanted."

"What's that, Auntie?" Akako asked quietly with curious eyes.

"I have an ever-after full of everlasting love."

The ring on her finger that glimmered beautifully was enough to prove it.

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**A/N: **Harhar, school is starting in two days for me and so I won't be updating much really because I need to keep in contact with my studious and athletic/healthy side. I've always wanted to do a one-shot that depicted Sumire like a sort of strong and independent damsel-in-distress kind of person even though that's an oxymoron right there. I guess I wanted to convey the sister-like truce between Mikan and Sumire in a rather bitter and heartbreaking way bwahaha. And also, let's just pretend Mikan doesn't know Hotaru or the gang as personally as she does in the actual anime/manga because this story is supposed to portray how lonely she is :P. Anyway, I'm sort of depressed seeing as my childhood has come to an end.

HARRY POTTER! . . . Yes, well I'm going to purchase the whole DVD set to complete my life haha. Go ahead and drop a review and tell me what you think ;)!

**~Joy.**


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